But Then She Laughed
by haikomori
Summary: A simple conversation leads to a small slip up, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. And even Lightning can't resist a Chocobo's charms...sort of.


**Hello! A small one-shot I wrote in school in my spare time. You can take it as either romance or friendship honestly. I have another one in the works, but I have to take it steady. Hope you all like it! Please enjoy this little piece.**

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"Aw, c'mon Light! You know you love these things!" Hope said, laughing as one of the wild, giant, yellow birds poked him in the side. Hope smiled and shook his head at the Chocobo, petting the bird on its head. Hope was taller now, and the feat didn't seem as difficult as it had when he was fourteen. He was also more muscular, although still to slender for his liking, but his face remained the same, with the exception of the slightly stronger jaw. But his eyes still shone as he looked at Lightning. She had changed little over the years, although her hair was slightly longer. There were a few more scars on her body as well, but they were hidden under clothes, her cape still draped at her side. And her eyes were a little more…alive. Brighter, more blue. Not that she would ever admit it.

The Chocobo warked as Hope continued to stroke its head, nudging him more until Hope's arm shot up, the greens he had been holding flying in the air. The Chocobo stood proudly for a moment, puffing out his big feathery chest before devouring the greens that had drifted to the ground.

"Even if they are a little pushy." Hope added, rubbing the back of his neck. Lightning only stared at him, arms crossed and mature face as stiff as ever. Another two birds walked by, one of them bending its head toward Hope, and more importantly, his bag. Hope pulled the bag, which had been stuffed to the brim with greens for the Chocobos, away before the bird could take a bite. The Chocobo's body started to sag as it looked longingly at the bag, and Hope caved almost instantly. He rolled his eyes, annoyed he had fallen for the bird's gloomy mood so easily, and pulled out a few large leaves. The Chocobo gave a delighted squawk as Hope held out his hand, devouring the greens and nipping at Hopes fingers in the process.

"Ow…" Hope said, pulling the bleeding finger away from the bird and sticking it in his mouth. He gave a harsh suck, knowing the cut was smaller than the blood made it seem, but was still irritated as the bird only gave him another wark.

Lightning rolled her eyes and strode over to him, muttering about him being a baby as she pulled his finger from his mouth and she grabbed a napkin from her pocket. "What's so interesting about them anyway?" She asked as she gently wiped the blood and spit away from his finger.

Hope, so entranced by Lightning's careful motions, almost forgot to answer. Coughing a little, Hope glanced at the other bird that stood behind Lightning, taking in its rather regal looking appearance. It was giving him a quiet look, eyes a bit distant; as if he knew what his partner was doing was silly. "I don't know…I guess a part of it is how they look." Hope said as he watched the Chocobo, "I mean, they are kind nice looking, and some are…cute. A-Anyway, they also helped us when we were fighting to save Cocoon. They even got us out of a few tough spots every once in a while. And they're really fast. And playful… Stuff like that I guess."

Lightning watched Hope's face as he talked about the Chocobos, the way he would smile without much thought or how his eyes would light up and follow their every move. He'd get excited when he talked about them, bouncing a little where he stood and looking just a bit more like the child he had been before.

"Childish…" Lightning muttered, switching her napkin out for a band aid and tying it securely around Hope's finger.

"Wh-What?"

Lightning's eyes followed the other Chocobo as the bird looked into Hope's bag, eyes filled with hunger as it began to peck at the food. The other still stood calmly behind her, making no move to eat its friend's new spoils. "Both you and Serah," Lightning said. Her sister loved them too, was always asking to go and see them, even now. Before it had been Nautilus they had to go visit. Now it was the wilds of Gran Pulse she wanted to go to, anything to get a glimpse of one of the birds. "You both love these birds." She continued, "You start bouncing around when they're nearby, and you want to feed them if you see them in the wild or when you're at one of the petting zoos. It's childish. Chocobos, in and of themselves, are for children. They're all about childhood."

Lightning paused as the Chocobo successfully pulled out a few greens, munching on them happily, seemingly aware that Hope was none the wiser. It was amazing how docile they were, even in the wilds of Gran Pulse, as long as food was around. "Maybe that's why I don't like them."

Lightning jolted at the admission, wanting to pull away the moment the words had left her lips. She took a step back, forgetting the Chocobo behind her, but Hope's hand grabbed hers before she could pull away. She suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed, stupid and humiliated, and she wasn't even sure why yet. She wanted the walls to come back, wondering why she had let them fall in the first place, and cursed herself for letting her guard down. A silly slip up, And it had happened so fast! What had happened?

"Is that why." All thoughts of leaving vanished when Hope spoke. The way he said it, it was a statement, not a question; as if all he was doing was confirming the weather. That it was no big deal. That he somehow understood.

It made all the difference to Light.

"You know Light, it doesn't hurt to be childish every now and again. I mean, just look at me. Or Snow really…caught him playing with a squirt gun the other day." Lightning let her eyes meet his as he said it, eyes a little bigger at his words. He smiled at her, a small laugh leaving him, and his expression remained warm and inviting, "I mean, if anyone's earned that, it's you."

They both froze as the Chocobo behind Lightning moved, the bird sniffing at Lightning's hair, blowing a few of the strawberry strands in her eyes. Neither moved as the bird nuzzled her hair, the beak poking at bit at Lightning's head. The Chocobo snorted, making Lightning's hair fly in different directions, and the bird opened its beak. It took a few strands of Lightning's hair in its mouth, sucking on them lightly before spitting them back out.

Hope tensed as Lightning stared blankly ahead, her face looking almost shocked as the wet and sticky strands of hair clung to her cheek. Lightning tightened her grip on Hope's hand, watching as the offending bird went for Hope's forgotten bag at its partner's call. It nudged the partner aside, but not before looking back at Lightning with an almost smug expression on its face. Lightning could only blink.

But then she laughed.


End file.
